The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1887-08-19
oLD-rIME YACHTING.
A Thrilling Accident at TukeY's
Bridge In 1892.
A MournfuI Tragedy that happened
In Portland Harbor In Is4o.
The Young Men and Women Of the
Pleasure Parties OF so Years Ago.
Hon.wnlism Goold.I

| shore. The change and confinement he
thought affected his health unfayorably, and
Tor remedy he ordered a sailboat from
Roberts, the only builder Of experience. The
captain bad decided notions Of his own about
the proper model, and impressed them upon
DIS builder. A boat was built longer than
any In the harbor Of her size, being twenty
seven feet on deck. Like the Swiftsure and
Laurel, she had the handy rig Of two masts
and two sails only. The foremast ran up
thirty-seven feet from the keelson without
| shrouds or back-stays, ard corresponding
high foresaiL When in trim, with equally
skIllful handling. she was more than a
match for the laurel SO nicely was her
rig adjusted that In light wind. with
proper trim CT her sails, she would work to
windward herself with no one at the helm or
sheets.
The writer had an exciting experience in
| this boat In landing party Of ladies at Tu-
keys Bridge. In the summer OF 1882 Fred
erick Ilsley. nephew Of Capt. Mcclellan, bor-
rowed his boat for him and myself to take
party Of young ladies', all Of one clan. for
sail, a fish dinner and an afternoons sport at
Diamond Cove. The ladies Of the party
were to sleep at the Ilsley and Clark farms
at Back Cove. then only divided by Fall
brook, and embark the next morning
from Tukey's Bridge. To do this the
boat must be taken round the pre-
vious night. There was no wind. but we
went down TO Fish point with the ebb tide;
but to row the heavy boat round the bridge
against the Presumpscot tide was a labor 10
be remembered. and not until the tide had
turned did we get there.
1t was gay party that went on board the
boat the next morning. The term girls will
best describe the femalea Young Ilsley
afterwards became we'll known ship captain
and was then mate Of a bark belonging TO his
father commanded by Capt. John Edmonds.
of course he knew how To sail boat, and the
writer had had some experience in that line
Our forenoon sail was with a pleasant
breeze, and noisy company. The fish din
ner, games and gossip at Diamond Cove, to
people of our ages and surroundings, il
would be folly to attempt to describe fifty
five years after the occurrence. The morn
ing sail was so fine that 1t was decided TO 20
on board early and have another one before
landing at the bridge. Having the crack
boat Of the bay, Of course we had to race
everything in sight, which often took us out
| Of our course and made us late at the bridge.
| Itwas long past sunset and about half food.
| The anchor was thrown near the draw,
| where 1t held the boat when she was light
| the night before. We did not consider that
the boat now had party OF twenty, which
took her down In the water. The anchor
would not hold, and the rushing tide took
the boat down to the bridge. Our salvation
was the accident Of the stern Of the boat
striking single pile of the bridge. II she
had swung two feet either way the TOP Of
her malnmast would have taken the capsil
OF the bridge, and the strong current would
have taken her bow under. and the inevita-
BILE result would have been too horrible to
| think Of. When the stern struck the pile
| the anchor held her bow to the current;
| slight movement Of the stern would have
| brought destruction to all on board. We
had small yawl towing at the stern, In
| which we intended to land on the harbor
| side at the south eRd of the bridge A
| knowledge Of our dangerous predcament
| soon gathered crown on the bridge, al
though 1t was then a toll bridge, who gave
| us much advice, which was unheeded lis
| ley and myself held hasty consultation at
| the f0remast, and concluded 10 keep knOwl-
| edge of the danger from the girls as much as
| possible, and TO attempt the landing OF a
| small boat load on the cove side Of the
was no avoiding, and we put the best face
| upon ID possible. The small tender that was
| towing at the stern Of the large boat went
between the piles of the bridge with her bow
| the wrong way, and could not be turned.
| She was hauled up to take her passengers.
| 1t required another private consultation 10
decide who should first make the perilous
passage. Each Of us to whom the unpleas-
ant duty fell had one In the party with whom
we expected to climb the hill OF life hand
In hand thegither;" Of course we did not
send them in the boat; some must be select
ed, with much danger OF a sacrifice. The
names OF hve misses were called, who sup
posed it was an intended compliment to be
the first when the opposite was the fact
IL had now become very dark under the
bridge The phosphoyescent light in the
rushing water aided us much. Mr. Ilsley,
| with all the nerve he could command. placed
his passengers while held the painter with
| much effort. He then took his place In the
stern with his oar In the notch To steer and
| seull II the time ever came. Ia shooting the
| bridge, II the boat struck a pile she would
| ill and her human freight 90 into the swift
| tide. let the boat go asteru the length OF
the painter when received the word ''let
| CO." In this reversed position the little boat
went through the narrow passage like an
arrow. and the cheering word came from her
manager, "all right" Then We breathed
free, and something like half smothered
but audible thanksgiving arose IN the dark.
The boat was sculled to the sandy beach on
Il
tlly on shore. BY this time the tide had
| slackened. the remaining passengers were
| landed with less danger, the large boat
| hauled out and safely anchored, and the fe-
males OF the party again slept at Back Cove.
OF this party in the days enjoyment and
/ evenings peril can think Of only five now
living. namely; Mrs. Jacob Mcclellan, wife
| Of the ex-Mayor, and sister 10 the sailing
master Of the boat; Mrs. DIR. Gilman Daveis;
Miss Jane Mcclellan, Mrs. Judge Preble, and
| the matronly lady at my elbow, who sets me
| right In this. as In other matters. when 1 err.
Captain Ilsley, our sailing MASTER died in
about 1876, and his wife, who was Miss Cor
don, and one Of the boat party. died in 1880
The boat of which | have been writing
when in possession Of her first owner had
no name, but was known as Captain Fom
| Macs boat" She was sold first 10 j. W.
Dyer. and secondly to Daniel Pettengill. who
| owned several smaller boats. He put a
/ trunk cabin on to her and named her the
Banner" While she was the property Of
/ MIR. Pettengll she was the cause Of a sad ac-
i cident
In September, 1870, party went 10 sail In
| the Banner composed OF Charles Pettengill.
brother Of the owner, George Carter and six
young ladies, none Of whom were over TWEEN
ty years OF age. Carter was a good bOatman
| and was sailing the boat. IL was fine af-
ternoOn. and while Pottengill AMI FIVE OF the
girls were In the cabin, an unObserved whirF
wind struck the boat forward, lifting her
bow and driving her under stern FIRST Pet
tengill escaped but could not get the girls
out The water forced the cabin doors TO
and kept them so, and the air in the cabin
buoyed up the boat. If an axe had been at
hand perhaps the girls could have been got
out, but five perished. The boat drifted near
10 Hog Island ledge where her stern touched
the bottom, leaving her bow out Of water.
| John Davis and his brother Samuel, In the
| Yacht Water Lilly, formerly Of Boston, were
sailing and saw the disaster to the Banner
and ran down to her assistance With an
axe an opening was made In the cabin and
the bodies of the FIVE girls were taken out
They were Misses Thurston, Ingraham,
Plummer, and two daughters Of Nathan lis
ley. Miss Richards was not in the cabin and
was saved. She Is now Mrs. Charles Dow
OF Cape Elizabeth Miss Ingraham who was
drowned In the cabin, was affia1ced to Car
ter, who was in charge Of the boat.
Before the Water Lilly arrived at the
| wharf the news of the catastrophe had spread
through the town, and the friends of the un-
fortunate party were at the wharf to receive
the dead and the living. The tide was low
making the dock very dark, which was light
ed by lanterns. The five bodies were laid
side by side across the deck Of the water
Lilly, and when the covering was removed q
general moan arose from the crowd az the
painful sight. / have never witnessed
scene mere painful The Jewels on their nn-